Pfizer vs Merck
PFEPfizer Inc.vs
MRKMerck & Co. Inc.- Pfizer: US pharma giant. Post-COVID slump - they're hunting for the next blockbuster franchise.
- Merck: Maker of Keytruda - the world's best-selling cancer drug.
- Over the past five years Merck stock returned +92% versus -20% for Pfizer, in USD. Past performance is not a guide to the future.
- They compete in the same space (Pharma & biotech), so many investors simply own both through a broad index fund instead of picking a winner.
Shown in USD. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future results.
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Industry
- Pharma & biotech
- Pharma & biotech
- 1Y return (USD)
- +10.0%
- +64.5%
- 3Y return (USD)
- -17.5%
- +30.7%
- 5Y return (USD)
- -19.7%
- +91.5%
- Trades in
- USD
- USD
PfizerPFEUS pharma giant. Post-COVID slump - they're hunting for the next blockbuster franchise.
See full Pfizer details →MerckMRKMaker of Keytruda - the world's best-selling cancer drug. Looking ahead to its patent cliff.
See full Merck details →
Available on Interactive Brokers
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Frequently asked questions
Which performed better, Pfizer or Merck?
Over the past five years Pfizer stock returned -20% and Merck returned +92% in US dollars, so Merck has been the stronger performer in that window. Past performance says little about the future, which is why the chart on this page lets you check other periods too.
Can I buy both Pfizer and Merck shares?
Yes. Nothing stops you owning both companies, and many investors do exactly that instead of trying to pick the winner. Both are available to investors worldwide through a broker such as Interactive Brokers.
Is it safer to buy an ETF instead?
A broad index fund holds hundreds of companies at once, usually including both of these, so a single bad year at one business barely dents it. Owning individual shares concentrates that risk, which is why many beginners keep single stocks to a small slice of a mostly fund-based portfolio.